Is Abortion Safe?

Across the nation, abortion clinic protesters attempt to intimidate women with a scary claim: abortion is dangerous, abortion doctors are careless, and there is a very real chance of dying on the operating table or suffering life-long complications. The truth is that you are probably safer in an abortion clinic than you are in a dental office. Abortion remains one of the safest medical procedures you can undergo–and it’s exponentially safer than giving birth.

How Common Are Abortion Side Effects and Complications?

Abortion complications are extremely rare.

A 2014 study looked at nearly 60,000 abortions performed between 2009 and 2010. Only one quarter of one percent–or about 2 out of every 1,000 abortions–caused a complication that required treatment in an emergency room.

In that same study, no participants died and emergency room doctors were quickly able to manage complications. Just 2 percent of abortion patients experienced any complication at all–including minor ones that could be treated at home. About 29 percent of hospital births result in at least one complication.

Will I Die Having an Abortion?

Another study assessed the death rate associated with abortions. That rate was 0.0006 percent–or less than one out of every 100,000 abortions. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is 29 times that figure, at 17 deaths per 100,000. In some states, the rate is even higher. Black women in Georgia, for example, are more than 100 times more likely to die giving birth than having an abortion.

To put this abortion research into context, consider how safe you feel walking into the dentist’s office. Now consider this: the complication and death rates associated with minor dental surgery are both significantly higher than abortion.

You will not die having your abortion. This is a lie the right uses to harm women. They want you to think that abortion is wrong, and that you will die doing it. Abortion can be an act of love. It can be a courageous and bold sacrifice. It can be a moral act.

Will I Regret My Abortion?

Almost no one regrets having an abortion. The Turnaway study, a seminal work in abortion research, has studied women who had abortions for years, and compared them to women who were denied the right to have an abortion because of state-level abortion restrictions.

Data from that study consistently finds that women denied abortions fare worse on virtually every measure of health and well-being:

• Women who have abortions are less likely to get depressed.
• Women who have abortions are less likely to remain in abusive relationships.
• Women who have abortions are less likely to develop addictions.
• Women who have abortions are less likely to suffer from anxiety.

The mental health benefits of having control over your own body are so strong that, even 5 years after an abortion, 99 percent of women report relief, not regret.

Abortion improves men’s mental health and lives, too. A 2019 study found that, when young men’s partners face surprise pregnancies, men attain higher levels of education and greater socioeconomic status when their partners choose abortion.

How to Choose a Safe Abortion Clinic

As with any medical procedure, you’ll get better results when you choose a skilled clinician. Good abortion doctors bring years of experience to the surgical suite. They understand the physical and emotional needs of people seeking abortion, and they take their work seriously.

We can connect you to a safe abortion clinic, without the stress of encountering fake clinics that will try to scare you out of your decision. Begin your search here, then click your city or state to find a quality abortion clinic near your home.